Dying Flames
by broadwanime
Summary: We all know what happened at the end of Rayearth II, right? Well, what if the Pillar system had not been eliminated, and Hikaru had to stay in Cephiro? R&R please! -On Permanent Hiatus-
1. Chapter 1

**Dying Flames**

_A/N: This is the-geek here! Just wanted to let you know that this story was written solely by me, the-geek, without Fuu's help. I am an avid Hikaru fan (sorry to those who don't like her), and I also happen to have a love for angst and drama. This story just came out of nowhere one day as I began wondering: what would happen if Hikaru had become the Pillar? Yes, I know that that concept has been done before, but I still wanted to write this._

_Anyway, please leave a review after reading this story. I would really appreciate your comments about my story, even if it's just to say that the story sucked! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this story even if you don't like it. Please enjoy the story!_

_Signed by yours truly,_

_the-geek_

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Summary: We all know what happened at the end of Rayearth II, right? Well, what if the Pillar system had not been eliminated, and Hikaru had to stay in Cephiro? Just to give you a taste of what you're in for: "…no matter how strength the heart may bear, it can always be broken in some way. To see them alone, being torn apart by this system of sorrow, to change into complete strangers before her eyes, truly frightened her."

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**Disclaimer: Me no own MKR, but I do own a stuffed Mokona! PUU!**

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_Chapter 1_

The wind howled fiercely across the raging sea, burning angrily in circles. The waves crashed against stones and sand, boiling and screaming. The wind shrieked, joining in with the roar of the thunder and the cracks of lightning. Rain poured mindlessly from the sky, pounding into the earth as if it burned in hate. The storm was one of the most fearsome ever seen in the whole land of Cephiro.

Meanwhile, inside of the castle, a young girl sat in her chambers, her long red hair tousled and hanging loosely around her frame. A mirror sat in front of her, a jeweled mirror lined with rubies, diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. It reflected the drawn and unhappy face of the poor girl. Her pale skin rivaled that of her white gown; her frame was far too small for her to be healthy. She looked worn and tired, as if she had no life left. Her coppery red eyes, once the envy of the brightest fire rose, now seemed dead and sad, as if the only light within them could come from a long flow of tears. How sad this girl was, how lifeless and broken she had become. Could this truly be the lively girl that once was the Knight of Fire?

To answer it simply, yes. Becoming the Pillar of Cephiro does that to you.

But why would it drain this poor child, this pitiful young girl that used to be so happy and carefree?

Because, my friends, that is the thing of the Pillar. It sucks away the soul and cracks the heart open, leaving it useless. The title itself wears down upon a person; it is, after all, the title of that who holds up the entire world of Cephiro. It tells you that you must take care of the world, leaves it in your hands, and tells you that you can only pray for its survival. And as it walks away and leaves you with this burden, it passes a note and tells you that you cannot love anything but Cephiro. It is cruel and heartless, a ruthless title with the characteristics of a tyrant. Indeed, it is sad to have to even hear that name.

Still, now is not the time for mindless melancholy conversations. We must be sit here in silent redemption and watch the misery that is and was the ceaseless weeping of the Pillar.

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Her broken crimson eyes streamed out salty tears of regret. Why had she been chosen to become the next Pillar? True her heart was stronger than that of all others, but had no one considered how much pain it would create? Did no one see the sadness to form in her eyes because she was supposed to be the one who had been chosen? Were they all blind as to her feelings? Blind to the feelings of her friends, to everyone she knew? Could they truly not see how this had affected them?

Her looking glass twitched. Glancing up, her ruby eyes met the mirror's face. It glowed for a moment, as if it was confused on what to do, what to show. At last, a picture began to form within it. Someone, a girl, was there. The Pillar gasped at the girl, her eyes brimming with tears once again. For there, there standing still and silent inside her mirror was the one she once called her friend, the one that was once the Knight of Water.

"Umi…"

There the young girl stood, dressed in her normal schoolgirl attire, looking just as she had been. Yet something was missing. The one formally known as the Knight of Water was no longer there. Instead stood an ordinary girl, her long cerulean hair without the spark of the girl the Pillar once called friend. Her eyes had lost the spunk, the fun once conceived in their deepness. Umi Ryuuzaki no longer existed; someone else, a walking corpse, had taken her place.

The glass twitched again, and the image changed. The bland blue eyes transformed into the mist. The Pillar held her breath, somehow knowing what she would see. From the fog emerged another girl, this one holding emerald eyes and soft blonde hair. The Pillar's eyes quivered, her hands holding her face.

"Fuu…"

Fuu Hououji had not changed much physically. She was not thinner or taller or more boring, but her eyes had changed into a dull green; they no longer shone a brilliant emerald. The way she walked was not nearly as happy as it had been before, nor did she hold a smile for everyone she met. She walked ahead, lips unmoving, not even saying hi to her sister, Kuu. She was silent; a cold hard stone statue that merely walked around.

The poor girl's heart began to ache at the sight. The ones who had been had changed into other people, others unknown to her. Her strength wavered, shook on the verge of weakening. She knew what it was, and knew that resistance was futile. She knew that no matter how strength the heart may bear, it can always be broken in some way. To see them alone, being torn apart by this system of sorrow, to change into complete strangers before her eyes, truly frightened her. She had reached her breaking point.

"Enough. I wish to see no more." She reached out a small, thin hand to the looking glass. A glow of red light burst softly from it, and the image faded. Wiping her tears from her drawn face, she began to wonder what would have happened if she had failed the test of the Pillar. Would she have been happy then? Could she be happy in Heaven, or even Hell, as long as she could love freely? Or would she have fallen there too? Would she have to watch them change there too?

"Mistress Hikaru?" The girl's head spun to meet the speaker. Her surprise melted into relief as she saw him in the doorway, holding his tall staff against the floor. His light blue eyes lit upon his pale face, contrasting his light violet hair. The man's robes lay against him, swirling onto the tile floor. His face was lined with worry, worry and sadness. Why was he sad?

"Yes, Guru Clef?" Hikaru turned herself to her Master Mage. "What is it? Is something wrong in Cephiro?"

"No. I merely wanted to make sure you were all right." The man called Clef looked upon the princess with soft eyes. "You have not been eating lately. It is not healthy for the Pillar to do such things."

Hikaru's eyes darkened at the mention of her formal title. Clenching her fists, she forced a smile on her drawn face. "I'm all right. I've just… lost my appetite. That's all. You don't have to worry about me."

Even with this reassurance, the mage's face was still worried. The Pillar had grown incredibly thin, and her eyes had lost their life. Sadness had become a regular look for her, and she hardly smiled a true smile. She was always depressed, always in a state of mind on the brink of insanity. The strength of her heart wavered, but still it held strong. Hikaru Shido's spirit still had broken, and still she had weakened. It did not make sense at all, but it is what it was.

"If you say so, milady." Clef smiled at Hikaru, took his bow, and left to ponder the situation at hand. Without her friends, Hikaru was beginning to falter. She could no longer hold love for them; she could only think of the happiness of the people in Cephiro. She could only pray for Cephiro, never Umi or Fuu. Worse, he knew he could not stop it, that he, the greatest mage in Cephiro, could not save the poor girl from this fate.

It was not just the Pillar who was suffering. The entire palace had darkened in the Magic Knights' absence, leaving an air of sadness and emptiness. Everyone had been affected, the servants, the prince, and even the horses. It was not the same without them, nothing was. Hikaru was the only one who remained, but she no longer could do anything but pray; a wish for her own happiness was forbidden.

The mage's eyes narrowed, hiding themselves beneath his bangs. Why did the Pillar have to suffer so much? Why could she not cry, nor smile, nor love without having the weight of a world's existence? Why must she feel the excruciating pain of loss of feeling? Why did they have to lose any feeling at all?

He remembered the face of Emeraude as she died. Her face was wrenched with hatred, and yet as the sword plunged through her breast, she smiled happily. She was happy to die, happy to at last love. Clef's eyes widened in realization. Would it be fought again? The need for Magic Knights to come, and slay the being holding all power over Cephiro, would it be needed again? Would it come to pass the death of another Pillar?

Hikaru's laugh was faint in his mind, but he still heard it. He saw her smile, a true smile, and saw her look so happy. The images faded all too quickly, though. He then saw her passing the test of the Pillar system, saw her falling, and saw her bleeding as she clutched her hands to pray. How could such happiness and warmth be turned so casually into grief, pain, and darkness? How was it possible that there was something so cursed that it could even do that to an innocent girl like Hikaru? Would it allow her to be destroyed just as Emeraude was?

Shaking his head, the mage walked silently into his office. No, he would not let that happen. He would find a way to end it; he must. He would find a way to end the Legend of the Pillar.

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_A/N: Well? Was it good? Was it bad? What do you think should happen next? What pairings should I put in this story? Please tell me and leave your comments! Constructive criticism and any other comments are appreciated! Thank you very much!_

_the-geek_


	2. Chapter 2

**Dying Flames**

_A/N: Hello to my loyal five reviewers and all others reading this story! I know it's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long… Well, you get the point right? I'm so sorry for the epic delay, but my inspiration has been selling me short lately… So yeah._

_Aside from that, I'd really like to give thanks to my reviewers. It's thanks to you that this chapter was written. I'm so grateful to you. If you need someone to boost the morale of any of your stories, I will happily do it. Thank you so much! Hugs all around! hugs all of the reviewers_

_So yeah… Here's the next chapter of Dying Flames!_

_Signed by yours truly,_

_thegeek_

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**Disclaimer: I don't own MKR. Does thegeek even look like CLAMP? I didn't think so.**

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_Chapter 2_

Hikaru sat on her cushion, her dark eyes glazed over. She looked down at her hands, studying every detail as if she had never seen them before. "The world is mine, gripped in these hands… These small, weak, pathetic hands… I can barely hold myself together; do they really expect me to be able to carry a world?" She looked up, tears tickling at the edges of her long, thick lashes. "I'm going to let them down, aren't I? Soon this world will be filled with beings of darkness and torment… My torment…" Her voice grew more pained, the tears skimming her porcelain cheeks onto her hands. "I might as well call the magic knights right now…"

Her eyes widened as soon as the words left her mouth. "No! How could I say something like that?" Furiously she wiped the wet streams off of her face. When she was done, she looked out of her window at the land below her. Before her glassy red orbs, the storm faded into a bright spring morning, and birds once silent now sung filled with vibrant and happy song. A small smile graced her lips. "That's better. I can't let this world fall into darkness, now can I?" Her smile faded. "I will never let this world die. Never. I will not let the cycle repeat itself. The Magic Knights will not be summoned again to go through what I- what we did." Determination in place, she grasped her hands and began to pray.

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Clef stared down at his papers, glaring at them with his blue eyes. There was nothing, absolutely nothing on how to destroy the Pillar system. "Damn it!" He slammed his hands down on his desk; the pages of one of the books he was researching through flipped open to a random page from the force of it. Angrily he turned from the useless piles of parchment and marched over to the window, folding his arms to express his grumpiness. Did all of his best efforts mean nothing! Should he just give up now while he was ahead! Should he just let Hikaru DIE!

His anger melted away instantly, and he sighed. No… No, he couldn't let Hikaru die. There was no way he could do that. His duty was to serve her, to be her guide… A small smile curved itself from his lips. And more than that… He had to be her friend. He knew it wasn't easy being the Pillar; if he didn't know that, would he be researching as hard as he was for an answer on how to destroy the whole system? He knew what a weight it was, and be damned if he wasn't going to support her all the way through it. Be damned if he wasn't going to be her friend. Be damned if he wasn't going to find a way to stop all of this madness.

With a new light in his eyes, he went back over to his desk. He grabbed the papers from off of it and began to organize them; searching through them for anything he might have missed before. As he was picking up the last of them, his eyes caught a figure drawn in one of the books. It was a figure unlike any of the others he had seen before. "That's weird…" he muttered to himself. "I could've sworn I looked through everything…" He set down his papers and began to look at the page. His eyes widened at the text. He had to read it several more times before he could accept what he had read. A grin spread across his face, wide and filled with excitement. "I've found it…" A soft silence followed his whispered statement. "I've found it!"

His eyes danced as he looked down at the page again. He'd really found it. He, Master Mage Clef, had found the answer on how to destroy the Pillar system.

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_Sorry it's so short and that it took me so long to update! I'm going to try to get back in the swing of things, but it's going to be a little slow, so bear with me, alright? I'll try to get an update out as fast I can. Any suggestions you have are highly appreciated!_

Sincerely,

_the-geek_


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